Reata Rose Ranch

The Fleeing Summer

2010-08-03T08:39:00.000-07:00

I've come to believe that summer passes by so fast in an effort to just keep up with us. It is our busiest time of year (on a ranch), which is why I've been remiss about updating everything on my blog. I am outside most of the time, then steal a nap in the afternoon, forever play catch-up with the mundane chores in life and then back out to water the garden and landscape projects. So, I think I'll just post photos of my 'life at the present' and let it go at that. I hope any and all who may read this have had as busy a summer as me...the good kind of busy...and just as enjoyable.

Haying time...bringing bales home for the winter.

Freshly picked Nanking Cherries

Part of my flower bed...the new landscape project. My swinging night life consists of all of my evenings spent behind a hose; another view below...

My dear husband was at a ranch auction and he bought an old treadle sewing machine for me. The cabinet is beyond recovery, but I took the darling little machine out and the drawers will be re-purposed when we complete our mudroom-porch this fall. One entire wall will be shelves and cupboards. I want to use all old doors and vintage "junk". The tiny teddy is one I made years ago.

On a junk-hunt, I found a cute little old dish-drying rack to display some of my old china in.

"Ribbon" is coming along nicely. Here she was grazing while there was a branding going on in a nearby corral.

My Galpals and I got together for our MaryJanesFarm sisterhood meeting and we made mosaic goodies...mine turned out to be a tea-pot planter(?). Almost all of the broken glass and china that I used came from the homestead dump that was once my gr gr grandparents place. I am the little old white-haired lady.

My pullets should begin to lay sometime in October. At the moment, I am trying to play a role in the demise of a hawk that has sinister plans for my hens! I've shot at him 3 times with my 22, but with no success. Fortunately, the girls learned all they need to know about hawks after witnessing 2 of their sisters being attacked...one killed and eaten and the other I saved by running the hawk off. If only I'd had my gun then. The pullets run from one covered kind of place to another around the barnyard and when they hear the hawk's voice, they run and dive, dive, dive for cover! Chickens Are Not Dumb.

Above: a beautiful print I found (eBay) that I'll frame and put in the porch when it is done. Thus far, I've found a great barn-board bench, an old door to hang lots of doorknobs on for decor thingies, an old gate to hang hooks on for coats, a GREAT old step-back cupboard that I'll paint a olive green, old suitcases for storage containers. I'm on the hunt for a harvest table to live under the bank of windows, but I may have to have one made to suit the place. I'm so looking forward to at long last having a mudroom-porch and a covered, screened-in patio! Useful rooms are so fun to decorate and I'm stoked to see them when they finally are done. My husband has been hauling hay home every day for a few weeks. There's just not enough of him to go around and afterall, summer is for fun too and he loves to rodeo when he can get away from the ranch. Well, that's all for now. I need to go out and put some chicken wire around my new run for the pullet-girls. Happy Trails...until we meet again.

Maiden Journey

2010-06-23T08:05:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, I finally took my 'baby girl' (age 3) for our first ride at the ranch. I've been breeding Morgan Horses for about 15 years and she is one I bred and kept for myself. Her name is "Ribbon" - registered as "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon". It's a long wait from the time they're foals until you've got a horse under your saddle! But, here we are finally and she's a gem. Just wanted to share our maiden journey. *

Bliss in Wyoming

2010-06-19T08:09:00.000-07:00

Our winters are long...really long by most folk's standards, at least those who live in a more temperate climate. About March, I get cabin fever and it seems like it takes forever for springtime to come. But, it always does. My little garden is coming along nicely - I used old stock tanks for raised beds. We ride about twice a week to check the cattle. Wildflowers are blooming and the grass waves in the breeze...looking like a sea of green velvet. There are baby antelope scampering about on the ranch. I've got Bluebirds and Tree Swallows nesting nearby in birdhouses I posted on fenceposts. Here are some recent details from my little corner of the world. Summer is here at long last...

Wunnerful, Wunnerful

2010-06-04T06:59:00.000-07:00

This time of year is just 'wunnerful' (to quote Lawrence Welk). Northerners wait a long LONG time for green to return and when it does, we're in a sort of glorious dither. I've got so many things to do, but sometimes I find myself just enjoying all the sights, sounds and smells of summer. I've got a small flock of heirloom pullets that are coming along nicely, I've been creating a garden courtyard of sorts out of recycled 'junktiques', my xeriscape project is an ongoing venture, we're riding for calving and brandings and really enjoying all the wildflowers along the way.

Babies, babies, babies...'tiz the season. I was thrilled to happen upon a WET newborn antelope. I hurried to take 10 photos and left quickly. Mama came right back and finished cleaning her new baby up. I also discovered a Song Sparrow's nest in a pasture by the house and I'm watching it so I can get progressive photos. And, the calf is one of our's...love her markings. She's an Angus x Hereford cross. I hope ya'all out there in Bloglandia are having a good spring too.

Freedom isn't free

2010-05-31T07:41:00.000-07:00

The many freedoms we enjoy came at a very high price...paid for by others, many of whom are buried in foreign lands. May we NEVER forget to be grateful. We have so many reasons to be the most grateful of all countries. Historically, Americans who went off to war have always fought for the right reasons, willingly and with honor. We are a vain and forgetful species. If only we would learn to hold on tightly to the right things with uncompromising steel. If only each and every one of us would stand up for those 'right things' on a daily basis - not just believe in them, but STAND on them and really live up to what others have fought and died for. We haven't yet forfeited the freedom to do it with fearless and unrelenting joy, yes JOY. We should be HAPPY that we can stand on wholesome principles without being endangered. If we do lose ground there, it will happen because we let it happen. I pray for our country, I hope you do too.

To all who served and continue to...Thank You. To all who have lost loved ones, a Thank You is so small, but, I hope it helps to see people in this country honoring your fallen loved one by living as grateful citizens and with sincere, humbled hearts remembering who pays for our ongoing safety and freedoms. It isn't the politicians, it our neighbor's son or daughter.

My Indian Name

2010-05-27T08:25:00.000-07:00

If I did have an Indian name, it would have to be "Too Many Irons In Fire". I never seem to learn to set realistic goals. At age 54, that probably won't change via my own free will. Feeling my age is doing it for me these days. Ok, so it just takes me longer now - What-Ever.

May is always so busy for us because of it being our calving season. Nuthin' doin', I had to pile more on ... like a landscaping project, a gardening project and we're re-siding the house and building an addition. It'll all look great when it is done. I surrendered landscaping as an impossible mission many years ago due to our mate, the wind and heavy clay soil. I got tired of being a landscape loser though and this set my sights on changing all that. 50 plants, trees and shrubs later, I feel better about it. Now things just need to grow. I made my enclosed garden 'court' from 100% recycled "junktiques". The picket fence panels serve as a windbreak fortress.

I'll spare you the words and just post some photos taken over the last month...

I also went on a junkin' safari a few times this month. The mission was to find and bring home some fun old goodies to re-purpose. I have a few gal-pals that enjoy this kind of outing also and we had a grand time hunting for rusty treasures at neighboring ranches...with permission of course! I used the hydraulic bale-feeder's arms and chains to lift the tangled mess of 'iron spaghetti' so that we could free up the things we wanted. Here are a few pics...

Old iron beds make a great trellis for climbing roses, morning glories, clematis etc.

I've since planted trailing flowers in my shabby chair planter. They'll be pretty spilling over the edge by mid-summer.

I love old loopy wire fence. Don't know where I'm gonna use it yet.

And here are the little darlings...my hens at their present age: wee lassies. What kind you might ask? Welsummers, Barred Marans, Blue Wyandottes, Brahmas...all 'heirloom' breeds. I'm having a friend build a chicken coop on wheels. It'll be tricked out with all kinds of vintage goodies. The plan is to move it regularly down the driveway so the birds will have fresh greens to eat and they'll be far enough away to leave my garden alone! Everything works in theory ya know. We'll see about that.

This old hub-cap serves nicely as an open-air nesting spot.

I'm so stoked to ride my coming three-year old filly this weekend. My girlfriend started her for me. Arthritis changed my mind about doing this one myself. I'm blessed to have a friend who is a good hand at staring colts. The plan is for me to ride her for the first time at their branding this weekend. My girlfriend says she's a glide-ride, exceedingly smooth and very laid-back. That's how I bred her and I'm so tickled that she turned out to be my kind of hoss.

Now for summertime to get into full swing. The wildflowers are coming on and I'll post some photos soonish. I've replanted a few in my xeriscape garden. Thank you kindly for stopping by for a lookyloo. Happy Trails until we meet again.

Rockabye Garden

2010-05-02T07:18:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, I went out to a friend's ranch to go rock hunting...but, but not for little rocks. I'm talking "Boone & Crockett" rocks! I'm in the process of creating a new xeriscape 'garden' in front of our house. It began by digging out a 12'x16' hole (2.5' deep); then it was filled with amended soil...mixed with native soil.

Before I could begin planting trees, shrubs and flowers, I had to first 'plant' my beautiful boulders that are covered with lichen in hues of orange and lime green. Anita's husband loaded my pick-up with two huge rocks and I also added several other large stones that will serve as the garden border. I'm about midway through the project -- need one more rock gathering trip to complete this part. I also need to extract a wonderful, old iron headboard from a ranch dump. It is very ornate and completely rusted. It will rest in the back corner (at an angle) of the garden and Morning Glories will climb all over it (I hope).

In case you're interested in what I've planted thus far and will be planting, here is the list: Moonglow Juniper, Alberta Spruce, Chokecherry, Blue Chip Spruce (creeping), Limeglow Juniper (feathered branches, creeping), Autumn Spirea (pale green and plum foliage, pink flowers), Potentilla, Yellow Nine Barks, Climbing Rose (wild rose pink), Native Sagebrush and Yucca. Flowers: Russian Sage, Clump Dianthus, Gaillardia, Penstemmon, Batchelor Buttons, Painted Daisy, 3 varieties of Artemesia, Salvia, ornamental grasses and Hollyhocks up next to the house. This is southside exposure.

Here is Anita and my Rat Terrier. We were still in the hunting phase. After I get the Xeriscape garden done, next will be window boxes on the two windows on that side of the house. A friend made two large ones out of heavy barn-board for me. I'll put pale pink Million Bells and white Bacopa in them, which will result in a profusion of flowers spilling over the edges of the window boxes. They will set on very large antique harness hookes - once used to hang draft horse harness on. We've just completed the first coat of new paint on the house - barn red (with white trim)...which goes with the rest of the ranch outbuildings. I like the old-fashioned 'farm & ranch' color scheme. This is the year of our homestead's 'make over' which is way overdue. With all the changes that we're working on...re-fencing and dirt-work, these also will come: a new mud room addition, covered patio and car port. It will be wonderful when it is DONE!

I'm tanked!

2010-04-26T09:39:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, there was an old rusted out stock tank in one of our pastures. Now it is home and filled with old dirt and awaiting veggies and flowers. Before I filled it with dirt, I placed an old iron bed in it. Morning Glories will grace the head board and Sweetpeas at the foot. I'm so anxious to get things planted, but it will be mid-May before it is warm enough here. We also dug up a large area at one end of the house for landscaping. Oh, did I have fun buying shrubs, trees and perennials. Spring is finally here...now for some warm sunny days so that I can get in the dirt.

Pause for a moment

2010-04-08T22:08:00.000-07:00

Do you sometimes suffer from feeling like ya don't get enough done in a days time? Once in awhile, reflection helps people like us feel better...I think. Being detail oriented can convince you that you can't keep up ... with yourself. But, the truth is, if you're trying ... you're probably succeeding at being productive even if you don't get to all the things you see out in front of you in the distance. Shown above are a few of my creations in recent months; three of which can be found in the MaryJanesFarm online/e-magazine, "The Cluck". If interested, you can subscribe by visiting the Farmgirl Connection website (see badge on lower left of page) and following the links. The published designs are: Stipple quilted flower basket pillow, Victorian Horseshoes, recycled shoulder-pad potholders.

BukBuk...BuhKuk

2010-04-08T17:48:00.000-07:00

I've been chickenless for three years. But, I'm soon to be back in the saddle. I ordered chicks yesterday...a very rare 'heirloom' breed called "Buckeyes" (see below). They are a deep, vibrant, mahogany brown, possessing docile, outgoing, friendly personalities. They're hardy and love 'free-range' living. My type of chicken! My baby chicks will need a new coop, so that too is in the works. I've been looking at several styles and with the help of a carpenter-friend, we'll come up with something just right. It'll be CUTE too...a 'farmgirl folk-art' style coop with 'junk' accents and recylced materials. I'm excited!! Lord willing, I'll be loving on fluffy little chicks next month. Becoming part of the MaryJanesFarm team stoked my longing for having cluckers again. My mother and grandmother love chickens too. My mother has a wonderful antique print in their living room...a small girl setting a dish of water down for a baby chick. The picture hung in her parent's house too. My grandmother told my (now 75 year old) mother that her first words were, "Chickie dink." I guess is runs in the family.

The Heart Of The Matter

2010-03-31T09:07:00.000-07:00

There is one sentence that sums up Easter...and here 'tiz. I made this image and please pass it on if you feel so moved! Happy Easter everyone!

Pray For The Fish?

2010-03-27T10:09:00.000-07:00

I love the music of Randy Travis and this song is fun...and humbling too. I thought you might also enjoy it. FIRST, before listening to this music video, turn OFF my playlist (above). No one has gone too far down the wrong road to be DQ'd. The Lord didn't come to save the 'good' fish...he came for us Carp and 'junkfish' like Eddy! The best part of fishin' (for me) is the field trip outing. I like to eat fish fish as long as I have a boat full of lemons. Here are a few vintage images from my stash ... just for the fun of it. If you like, save the badge at the bottom of this post to share on your blog.

Whats In A Name?

2010-03-25T20:49:00.000-07:00

Whats in a name? It depends on the name. At 'Easter time' there is but one name under Heaven that has given meaning, comfort, joy, healing, courage, hope, peace and purpose...and eternity to us. His name is Jesus and the coming days are His alone. He became the living illustration of Passover...the "Lamb's blood" that spares our soul. Prince of Peace, King of Creation and our best friend gave His life that we could receive the promise. Here are some antique postcard images for you to enjoy and share if you like. I hope you have the most personal of reasons to celebrate Easter...knowing that your name is written in the Book Of Life.

Custom Desk...WooHooo!!

2010-03-18T09:13:00.000-07:00

Gone is my old computer desk! It was generic looking and showing it's age. When I first got
into computers years back, computer desks were not easy to find (much less quality models at affordable prices). An elderly carpenter friend of ours made this custom desk for me and I brought it home the other day. It is made primarily of Lodgepole Pine, but it sports other goodies too. I asked "Jim" to trim the front using Cedar from fence posts that my grandfather would have made at least 50 years ago. I gathered them from an old stack of posts in the pasture. The edge of the desk surface and the keyboard pull-out is trimmed in Walnut (the places that get more wear). The drawer handles are made of White-tail Deer antlers that I found and picked up while riding; and the drawers are beautifully dove-tail joined. I also had a shelf unit made to match. I'm 'pickled tink' with my new set-up. Jim did a wonderful job! Inspired by my new addition, I kinda spruced up my little office-spare bedroom.

Shamrocks & Clover

2010-03-12T11:35:00.000-08:00

Antique cards illustrated an era of our society that appreciated 'Nature' long before our present day 'green fixation'. The very early 1900s also depicted a time when healthy virtues and moral standards were what I, for one, wish they still were. Here are some vintage images just in time for St. Patrick's Day. Enjoy!

Baubles & Bangles

2010-03-09T18:41:00.000-08:00

Ok, I've been on sabbatical and it was time to go back to work in my rock quarry. Here are some of the newest results. I'll be taking them to a nearby artisan gallery and I'm thankful for the opportunity, given the economy.

I also started my 3 year old palomino filly, "Ribbon"! She's quiet, sweet and so agreeable. It sure takes a long time to get here...from birth to saddle horse, but it is a special thing to make your own horse from scratch. Here is a photo collage that takes her from Day 1 to last weekend.

NEW from MaryJane

2010-02-26T07:43:00.000-08:00

The newest issue of MaryJanesFarm will soon arrive in subscriber's mail boxes and in stores that carry the magazine. If you'd like to subscribe, here is the link: http://www.maryjanesfarm.org/magazine.html

To enjoy more of MaryJanesFarm online, you can visit the main website at www.maryjanesfarm.com and the Farmgirl Connection (see the image to click on as you scroll down this page...on the left.) You can also check out the MJF Farmgirl bloggers (I'm the ranchy farmgirl blogger) - and those blogs can be accessed on the main page of the Farmgirl Connection web page. Look for the MJF site images to click on as you scroll down this page.

Spring is just around the corner and this issue will help ease your spring fever...or maybe make it worse!!

A Little Birdy Told Me

2010-02-16T09:48:00.000-08:00

This time of year is when our feathered friends can use some extra groceries. The end of of winter is hopefully not too far away, but it will be a long time before natural forage will be renewed. Like so many, I also enjoy helping out my bird friends. The bottom photo in this post features pinecone bird food balls that my sister makes and hangs from their woodshed.

Birds mark our seasons with their departure, their return, their songs, their young, and their change of colors in some instances. We live precisely where the evergreens of the Black Hills stop and the open plains begin. We have pine trees at our back and from here on out I can count the trees. The local bird population is a mix based on this fact. We get an occasional visit from Cedar Waxwings that feast on the juniper down along the creek. My folks have three hanging feeders and it is very busy! The birds here at our 'little house on the prairie' during the winter are ground feeding song sparrows. In the not so distant future, Meadowlarks, Bluebirds and Lark Buntings will return. My spirit soars when I hear the first Meadowlark tell me that Spring is soon to come.

Our bird-feeding 'program' is a little different. The ground feeding habits of our winter birds means that hanging feeders don't work. Our birds feast on the grain that the horses and cattle drop and the seed in the hay we spread out on the large feed-ground at the ranch.The photo at the top is one I took recently when I spotted a pair of Great Horned Owls that were perched in and on top of a run-in shed for cattle. I was so excited!! I love owls and hear them often in the night, but I never get to see them. Very early in the morning when we ride on the ranch, we sometimes spook burrowing owls from their cover in the sagebrush and so you only get a fleeing glimpse of them as well.

Click on the link to my sister's blog and look for the recipe for her Pinecone birdfeed balls (above). Her blog badge is located on the left of this page...look for the Mia Bella Collection image.

Freebie Vintage E-Valentines

2010-02-12T09:00:00.000-08:00

Here are some vintage valentine postcards from my stash. You can email these to those you're sweet on. You should be able to click on the images, open them and save the much larger images to send - or just send the smaller image. Enjoy. Happy Valentines Day to everyone!

What The World Needs Now

2010-02-07T08:44:00.000-08:00

The vintage 1960s song is right, what the world needs now IS love. Undeniably, we live in changing times and there are three Ts that mark the current era: Turbulence, Trials and Trouble. It is all around us, as is the need for the practical application of love.

Live and love generously without worrying about being emptied or getting hurt. Our loving Lord, Jesus, empowers loving 'givers'. Even when we may be weary and feeling used up, we'll be okay when we realign ourselves and lean into the real source of powerful, never ending love. There is no punch in 'flower power' (the old 1960s hippy cliche`) unless the flower is the 'Rose Of Sharon'. He's proven himself many times over as the 'answer' in my own little personal world. What He is capable of in one person's life, he's well able to do in millions of lives, one person at a time.

The King Of Kings is the King Of Hearts. If you haven't yet made Him your love of a lifetime, do so. You'll never look back and no matter what happens in our old troubled world, we are safe in His arms. The Lord of all Creation keeps your heart in His own and there is no better place to send your 'heart' on Valentines Day.

Red, White And True Blue

2010-01-28T10:17:00.000-08:00

Our dear country is going through a time of rediscovery made possible by many factors, almost all of which are negative. I want to believe that the upside is that much good will come of it. Unfortunately, complacency is a common human habit. Before they really listen to a wake up call, they hit the 'snooze' button many times.

We've run out of snooze buttons. Now, we are on the edge of not just being abruptly aroused from slumber, but being shoved out of bed onto the cold hard floor of reality, laying there flat on our face wondering what in the 'sam hill' happened while we were sleeping.

I don't know how the near future will play out, but it will come and I pray we meet it in a way that honors our forefathers and the thousands of patriots who fought and died for this country. It falls upon every generation to refresh, re-sacrifice and re-strengthen the commitment to every element that made and maintains our great country. Our constitution was not intended as a set of side-note guidelines. Our government is unbalanced and tone deaf: the power base is no longer the people. It is time to prune, making government smaller and the people's voice what it ought to be...loud and clear and the dominating force.

re you a patriot or are you a quiet bird on the fence? If the latter, there may soon come a time when the fence will fall out from underneath you and so will the many distractions that lure a free people to live in excuse driven complacency.

The U.S.A. is populated with beautifully framed people, a direct result of a free society. I hope that our citizenry will once again rise to the challenge of preserving a country that builds the kind of human beings that lead a world in dire need of ethics rich leadership.

Artsy Farmgirls & Homemade Wine

2010-01-22T12:10:00.000-08:00

Last night was the 3rd monthly get-together of our local herd of "MaryJane" style farmgirls (at my house). A new gal, Michelle, joined us and she is extremely productive in crafting, building things, refinishing antiques, home improvements, fabric arts etc. She brought show & tell goodies and taught us the basic elements of rug hooking. I served veggies, dip and quick & easy cranberry cookies (see recipe below).

My friend, Anita, out did herself with 'offerings'...she had made homemade soap this past week AND she also made each of us a small split oak basket for 3 gift bars of her luxurious soap. In addition, she also brought homemade Currant wine and 3 varieties of delicious cream cheese spread (for crackers). The cream cheese was courtesy of Anita's milk cow, 'Matilda'. There was bacon & onion, dill & chive and sweetened cranberry. The last one kind of tasted like strawberry cheesecake. YUM.

Normally, we bring something to work on (needle arts, scrapbooking, sketching, mending etc), but last night we mostly gabbed and got to know Michelle. I was tickled to have found a very old woolen hooked rug on eBay and it matches a primitive puppy (a pattern I created awhile back). I'd like to learn how to do either wool needlepoint or rug hooking. I showed off my vintage jars, all dolled up with retro style decals and glitter; I gave one of the gals a decal'd lid for an old lid-less coffee jar of her's. The 'how-to' of dressing up old jars can be found in last fall's edition of MaryJane's Farmgirl online magazine, The Cluck.

Getting together with girlfriends in each other's homes (taking turns at hosting) is such fun. It is easy to think 'we' are too busy, but making the time for such healthy fellowship, it is SO worth it. Good friends are a deep well of inspiration, encouragement and vitamin F (aka FUN).

Shery's Quick Cranberry Cookies
1 white cake mix, 1 stick + 2 Tablespoons of melted butter, 2 eggs, 1 Cup dried cranberries, 1/2 Cup crushed walnuts (optional). Combine ingredients, drop spoonfuls on lightly greased cookie sheet, bake at 350 degree for about 10 minutes. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

These EASY cookies were a hit at Christmastime. But, I added 2 more tablespoons of butter to the basic 'cake mix cookie' recipe and this version is now Perfect - just the right amount of gooey softness inside, crispy on the outside...and buttery goodness!

Heaven for Haiti

2010-01-20T08:34:00.000-08:00

The photo of this precious Haitian girl praying, filled my inner being with awe...such trust and serenity in the midst of devastation. There are so many in need in Haiti and the need is so great. Please go to any of the reliable sources of help for Haiti and give as you are able. $5.00 is huge when the need is so broad. On the other hand, prayer will cost you nothing but a little time. In the middle of devastation, this precious little girl's trusting faith is obvious in her expression. In the middle of our security and plenty, our own faith should be like an oak. That isn't how it works sometimes, but she's sure a humbling reminder of what ought to be.

The Code Of The West

2010-01-14T08:08:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my homestate...Wonderful Wyoming. To view this BEAUTIFUL video, turn off the music playlist above. Enjoy.

The Code of the West: Alive & Well in Wyoming - Trailer from Havey Productions on Vimeo.

Daydream Believer

2010-01-10T09:20:00.000-08:00

Are you a dreamkeeper? By dreams, I mean those magical places, and hoped for goals that can include something to work with or work toward.

Our dream can be touched in the here and now as we work our way toward the whole of it. I know dreams come true because I have a list to be grateful for and if I take a look at them, I have the needed fuel of hope to 'keep on keeping on' as I reach for other dreams. Day to day business has to be done, but it is fun to keep our dreams on the horizon as part of what we have to look forward to. At the end of each day we're closer to our dreams no matter how miniscule the measure of it may be.

I have a dream kitchen which is part of the dreamhouse. I may or may not live long enough to see the fruition, but in the meantime I dream. To encourage me in my equine experience, I see my filly "Ribbon" under my new saddle that is currently being built. I try not to get overwhelmed with the work that lies ahead that will take her from kindergarten to a work of art. I've made several before her and that is what can make the goal harder to see the end of. I know how much work will be required...measured in years.

There is just no easy way to make a dream come true. If they were easy, they wouldn't be something we yearn for, save for, work for. They'd be easy and easy to take for granted. So, we dream away and long for that day when we walk into our dream and the dream becomes something we can touch...the antique iron bed we can sit on and cast our eyes on the vintage bedding, the quilt, the lace edged pillows. A vintage lamp is there too, restored and sitting on an old dresser that was rescued from the dump. It will serve as a nightstand that holds those things dear to me.

The windows in my house will be paned and the light will enter my cabin in such a way that it is always soft and especially so in the autumn. Bittersweet vines will hang from the dining room window at that time, and juniper boughs heavy with gray berries at Christmastime. My horses will be on the meadow grazing and I will be thankful.

Until then, our lives are an ongoing project list of 'To-Do' things that take us forward and that is how we can enjoy the dream as it is being built. We get some of what we love, our soulfood, every day. If time stood still, we would have no reason to dream or work. So lets get on with the work of dreaming and leaning into the future. Make ready your life as you'd most like it to be...today.

Reflections and Resolutions

2010-01-06T18:38:00.000-08:00

The older I get, the faster the years fly by. I feel a little guilty for frittering away time. Time is the most precious means of accomplishment that we posses. Talent and opportunity are well and good, but without time we really have nothing to work with, literally. I never gave 'time' a thought in my youth. When you're young, time lets you think there are millions upon millions of minutes. The years ahead look fat and deep when you're young. Now, when I look back, the years that have passed are wafer thin, layered one on top of the other. It is never too late to make better use of our time. The next minute, the next hour is our next opportunity. Making the most of the time given to me is my new year's resolution, a catch-all goal pointed at every corner of my life. (continued...)

Every year includes our friends and the new year will be filled with them too. My friend, Anita, challenges and inspires me and she's a giver. Here is a photo of some homemade goodies that Anita dropped off the other day! She made the basket for my small sewing projects to live in until they're done; the scarf goes with my favorite jacket and the 'pink parfait' geranium was a cutting off of her own favorite that she's kept over for several years.

I hope your new year is full of good friends that give you one of the rarest of all personal pleasures...the feeling that "Its good to be me". The word 'worthy' is a wonderful, old fashioned word, but not one we lay claim to. However, good friends let us try it on for awhile by way of their many kind acts...and it doesn't it feel great ?

Holly & Holy

2009-12-21T08:50:00.000-08:00

Here we are again, making ready another Christmas. Whenever I see a nativity scene, I'm reminded of those few people who witnessed the very first Christmas. Jesus was our first Christmas gift, and then the gifts just kept coming...millions upon millions as Jesus continued to touch millions of lives. I can't wrap my head around all of that, to be honest, but I know it is real. He's made himself undeniably real in my own life in so many ways, so many times. Therefore, I know He is just as real to millions of others. One by one, He loves us and saves us. One by one we are moved by a miracle. To me, one of the most amazing features of our multi-faceted miracle 'holiday' is the fact that millions of people the world over, people of every race and language, describe the same experience as they lovingly celebrate "Christmas"year after year ... two thousand and ten years to be exact.

Peace, Be Still.

2009-12-15T08:51:00.000-08:00

For me, enjoying every morsel of Christmas is in full swing. It saddens me that many folks state with weariness, things like 'surviving the holidays' and 'I'll be glad when its over". Its as if they're drug into the commercial fray and a frenzied busyness ... reluctant, but willing victims.

Christmas is actually a very quiet and above all, a very peaceful holiday. The baby Jesus was literally a gift of peace. Christmas was never intended to be stressful. The many joys of the season can be savored in a way that preserves all of the good things, the music, the scents, the sights ... and the beautiful gift of peace. The magic and the wonder of this holiday is like looking at the miracle of a single snowflake. It was never really lost - you just can't see it from a galloping horse. Slow down and let the beauty of 'Silent Night' bless and keep you where you need to be to take it all in without the noise. A holly-jolly smile from the inside out is sure to follow.

"And He will be their peace." ~ Micah 5:5

Sleighbells and Candy Canes

2009-12-10T11:58:00.000-08:00

So many symbols surround us this time of year, so many different little things that mean 'Christmas' to us as individuals. Those of us who love the sights, scents and sounds of Christmas have favorite songs that lift our spirits. Mine is 'Away In A Manger', although I dearly love many more. I have to say also that the sound of sleighbells on my horse when she's driven, well, there's just no other sound in the world quite as stirring!

Did you know that sleighbells were invented right here in the U.S.A. to make winter travel safer? The reason behind the need for sleighbells was simple: a horse drawn sleigh moves silently across snow-packed roads and back in the 'olden' days (19th century), the traffic was in fact brisk, busy and dangerous. Accidents were common. So, good old American ingenuity addressed the need and the popularity of sleighbells traveled worldwide. Most sleighbells were brass and the nicer, more expensive bells were tuned, rather like wind chimes. They made a melodious chiming song as they kept time with the movement of the horse ... plus the oncoming drivers could hear you coming!

Another longtime Christmas goodie is the striped candy cane which is symbolic of the Shepherd's crook and a more somber reminder of the "stripes" that Jesus received as a result of being whipped. Christmas should be an aromatic blend of sweet and somber, heartwarming and humbling.

There are so many things that delight our senses at Christmastime, all of which point the way to a quiet little stable long ago. I hope you enjoy every one of them, large and small alike and that you also see the deeper meaning of this festive time of year. Me? I'm getting together with girlfriends tonight to make pomanders - oranges studded with cloves. I'll then nestle half a dozen of them in a birch basket of evergreens, pinecones, dried leaves and twigs. However you put on your merry, Enjoy! Peace and goodwill to you ... may you find it and make some too.

"His mother, Mary of Nazareth,

Sat watching beside his place of rest,

Watching the even flow of his breath,

For the joy of life and the terror of death,

Were mingled together in her breast."

From "The Three Kings"
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Christmas Is A'Coming!

2009-11-29T10:21:00.000-08:00

As a child, the return of the Christmas Spirit was an 'inner event'...like a spark come alive. It happened as if by magic. Oh how wonderful it was, a feeling like you were sparkling from the inside out. I eagerly looked forward to all the sights, sounds and scents of Christmas. Year after year, my parents and grandparents built a rich store of memories to draw upon.

In adulthood, the return of the holiday spirit each year was not quite as bright and I felt a sense of loss. My wonderful childhood memories were intact, but the sparkle had somehow dimmed - part of growing up I suppose and perhaps not unique to me. With the passing of years, I had to "find" my holiday mood and stoke the coals...rather than feeling as if it was sprinkled over me like magical snowflakes and fairy dust. The magic had loosened it's grip and the faintness of it saddened me.

I resigned myself to being a 'grown-up' and somewhere along the way, I also settled for an artificial Christmas tree as part of the resignation. Never fear, I've always enjoyed and kept Christmas safe in my heart. But, I admit to secretly sighing over and longing for the childlike wonder I remember so fondly. Perhaps the plateau I experienced was part of my journey as I followed the Christmas star.

Recently, the longing for that old Christmas feeling became acute. It seemed to coincide with getting older on the outside; I felt a new resolve to grow young again on the inside. I was determined to believe in the magic again, willfully recreating the kind of rush that I felt as a child. Jesus is the reason for the season and the giver of all hope...and my new-found holiday energy was like holly adorned hope. It is an exciting, fresh scent of Christmas all over again. Jesus is not the author of flat feelings. I believe my Lord returned to me a child's way of looking at Christmas...just as he brought me to salvation by way of childlike faith. Are they not really one and the same?

So, with 'tidings of great joy', I wish for you all the wondrous feelings and sensations of the Christmas season...and that they lead you to the manger of the King of Kings. If a real tree is to you what it is to me...may you enjoy the fragrance of fresh evergreens, along with clove studded pomanders and spiced wassail. My tree is a small, native Juniper, complete with clusters of gray-blue berries. Make merry and breathe deeply all the magic of this most blessed of holidays. In the days leading up to Christmas, I'll share more of my antique postcards. Enjoy!

Tan All Around

2009-11-24T07:47:00.000-08:00

My filly, "Ribbon" is virtually invisible this time of year. The plains grasses are now various shades of tan and she is too. In the not so distant future, she'll be wearing a saddle since she's a coming 3 yr old. I took this photo when she was a foal. She looks much the same now...only much taller! It takes so long to get from this stage to the horse becoming your trusty steed, but its very rewarding to raise your own mount. It is the road less traveled and the one I prefer. Raising horses is very much like gardening...you plant the seeds and then you wait...and wait. I've scaled back my breeding program to suit my age, and little Miss "Ribbon" is the 'one' I kept for myself. Come springtime, God willing, she will be under my saddle and I'll have a new palomino pardner.

Shery's "Ranch Life" Slideshow

2009-11-23T08:06:00.000-08:00

When the works all done this fall...

2009-11-18T10:05:00.000-08:00

'Fallwork' is one word in the ranching vocabulary. October and November are the months when we have a lot of work to get done before winter sets in...vaccinations, worming, moving cattle to different pastures, shipping the calf crop etc.

This past week we finished most of our fallwork when we shipped our calves to the buyer. We have a few more friends and neighbors to help with their fallwork to-do list. I'm sure glad our fallwork is done and we had perfect 'Indian Summer' weather all the way through.

A girlfriend of mine has such an eye for decorating and she took a massive old corral gait and placed it behind their sofa. Hard to imagine...but it looks fabulous on the dark red wall. I've got my eye on this one. When our friends do away with it, I'm gonna see if they'll let me bring it home. Where to put it? Don't know yet, but that never stops a die-hard junktiquer!!

My Old Medicine Cupboard

2009-11-06T09:33:00.000-08:00

I had been on the hunt for a little cupboard for my little bathroom and I wanted a vintage goodie. Many golden oldies don't come to you clean and ready to play with. Such was the case with an old medicine cupboard destined for the dump.

The old cupboard was sound but filthy inside & out. The inside smelled like ancient medicines and just plain yucky; the shelves were sticky and encrusted with old dust. I opened the door and let it set in front of our barn on a bale of hay in the hot sun for over a week (killed the odor). Then it received a good cleaning followed by a lot of sanding. I had to make the decision whether or not to paint part of it or all. I opted to add a touch of cheery green and leave the old ivory paint alone. More sanding followed.The shelves also got a coat of leaf green acrylic paint.

The finishing touches were vintage waterslide decals, 'antiquing' and a spray acrylic sealant. Now I have a much needed bathroom cubby, given a new life and saved from being dump fodder. I think she's as cute as a button - smells new, looks old.

MaryJane's Farm "Ranch Farmgirl"...That'd Be Me.

2009-10-25T21:47:00.000-07:00

If you're a fan of MaryJane's Farm, you'll want to revisit MaryJane's newest additions to the 'Farmgirl Connection' website. There are now four farmgirl blog writers...the city farmgirl, the rural farmgirl, the suburban farmgirl and the ranch farmgirl... and that would be me! Click on the button provided here and it will take you to the Farmgirl Connection; from there, you can click on the same cowgirl image shown here and it will transport you to the high plains of Wyoming. See you there!

Wimmenfolk

2009-10-25T09:15:00.000-07:00

'Wimmenfolk', now 13 years old - a 6 member pattern of Prim little ladies that I never got around to publishing. Hard to believe these gals have been waiting for me so long. As some of you may know, I used to design patterns for publishers 'back in the day' when Country was king and there weren't nearly as many branches as there are now in the area of folk art. I've watched folkstyle crafts go hither and yon. I've been visiting folk art sites in the blogosphere, being new to the blog world. It's refreshing to see fresh style and such funluvin 'goodies' as well as old techniques taken to new places by new faces.

Personally, I'm just now ready to get back on the horse, so to speak. I spent much time away from the needle and wondered if the old twinkley tingle of inspiration would ever return. I'm not sure what sparked it, but fabric is once again calling. Ideas in stasis are blinking their eyes as if awakened from a deep sleep. I'm so looking forward to getting back in the textile groove. A revelation: you don't have to abandon one creative love for another. Creativity has few rules and being fickle is completely legal. So, I'm off to reinvent myself again. The fabric stores will be a Wonderland for me because everything will be fresh and new. Envy me that. I used to perch on the cutting edge of whatever design trend or wave was nigh. The ranching life took me outside and out of the sewing room. But, Shery Van Winkle is now wide awake!

Window Of Opportunity

2009-10-20T23:33:00.000-07:00

"Problems are only opportunities in work clothes." Henry J. Kaiser

I'm so grateful for opportunities that have come my way recently. A person could think that we 'make our own luck', as some say, but I know better. The good Lord has shown me in so many ways over the years that He delights in reminding me that 'Every good and perfect gift comes from above.' I wouldn't have it any other way. Opportunity invites us to venture into what may be an unknown part of ourselves. It's not a foreign land. We own the property and it is our's to explore and develop. No permit required!

My Maiden Journey With MaryJane's Farm

2009-10-14T19:57:00.000-07:00

Well, my first freelance assignments for MaryJane's Farm are now published. You'll find me in the the MJF 'farmgirl sisterhood' monthly online magazine called 'The Cluck' and as the 'Ranch Farmgirl' blog writer (via the Farmgirl Connection website). I'm still very new to the world of MaryJane's Farm and I'm devouring MaryJane's books, past issues of the paper magazine and The Cluck too.

My contributions in this month's Cluck are re-purposed vintage jars in the 'Make It Easy' section, and a short written piece about ranch life in the 'Outpost' section. The October issue is 30 pages and there are so many goodies. How do you get one you ask? Become a member/subscriber of the 'farmgirl sisterhood'; you can do that by following the links on the main MaryJane's Farm web site (see link on this page). You get monthly issues of 'The Cluck' via an email file attachment. I printed out my issue today so I can enjoy it at my leisure on the couch. It is just as rich in graphics as the MaryJane's Farm paper magazine. I'm making a list for upcoming projects and articles. Tune in and subscribe sister!

Heaven On Earth

2009-10-12T10:31:00.000-07:00

"Earth is crammed with Heaven."

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Heaven is everywhere. If a person fails to see the evidence of Heaven on earth, it is a choice they've made. Fortunately, we are free to make such choices; I would not have it any other way. I don't want to miss anything, and having 'heaven sight' adds a new dimension to appreciating the wonders of Creation. We don't abandon science, for it is part of the whole and adds specifics to understanding. Heaven sight ventures beyond academics and returns to us childlike wonderment and being better able to appreciate every dimension of Nature. The word "awesome" takes on true breadth. I'm so grateful for having my eyes and mind opened to the magnificence of every painted autumn leaf. Heaven on earth surrounds us entirely.

Greetings from The Cowboy State

2009-10-10T21:38:00.000-07:00

Wyoming claims two labels ... 'The Cowboy State' being the better known of the two. The other label may come as a surprise ...we are also 'The Equality State' since Wyoming was the first state to grant women the vote. My family homesteaded here, having come west from Vermont soon after the Civil War. They ranched and raised horses for the U.S. Remount. I'm 4 generations deep in Wyoming soil. Wyoming is a place of extreme beauty, contrasting geography and extreme weather and not a place most people want to live. Cattle still outnumber humans here and that suits me to a T.

Home is where you hang your heart

2009-10-10T20:46:00.000-07:00

~ Robert Montgomery

My home is my sanctuary, not just a place to hang up my coat or do the laundry. It is where everything I am has a place. While our little house on the prairie is as 'plain as a mule', it is indeed Home. Many are the things I would change about my little house except for the feeling I have when I come back from a trip. I feel welcome here, my bed knows me. If it were not for the complications that weather and birds pose, my bedroom would have no roof. Sleeping under the stars would be ideal, but a window next to my bed will suffice.

Material goods are things we often attach sentimental value to. I know that when I leave this earth I take only my soul and lessons learned. However, there are so many little joys that attach themselves to material things. Whilst I'm here I cherish the things left to me by my ancestors. Odds and ends, while meaningless to others, mean a lot to me. Flowery, old china I've collected that once belonged to names unknown, African violets, the many things made & given to me by my sister, bridles that hang in the barn when not in use - they have all know good horses. When my Master calls, all of what I possess down here means nothing, but until then I'll enjoy and care for the many blessings that make a house my home. I wait for Heaven, but for now ... home is where I hang my heart.

"Oh Bother", said Pooh.

2009-10-02T11:11:00.000-07:00

Looking over the many things I enjoy creating or RE-creating etc...I think the most exciting is making historic looking animal toys reminiscent of the very early 1900s. Being a lifelong animal lover, there is special joy in bringing to life my own little critters. My 'babies' don't look new even when they are newborns. True antique toys wear time so gracefully, and they're often quite shabby from having been loved long and hard. That is the look I try to mimic - a spirit and an expression that defies newness. The same is true of many other goodies I enjoy making; I'll be posting photos in the near future.

For now, here is my Pooh. Winnie has been a favorite of countless children down through the generations, and he is mine also. The version of Winnie via modern animation, while cute, does not have the charm and distinctive sweetness that was so evident in the real Pooh created by A. A. Milne and his illustrator, Ernest H. Shepard. I dedicate my Pooh to the endearing little bear they made famous.

Cowgirl Proverbs

2009-10-01T11:10:00.000-07:00

Nature teaches, she never preaches.
If you have a mind to say no, it's best to say it right away.
It don't matter so much who's right, but what's right.
Honey, don't squat with your spurs on.

If you don't expect much, you ain't gonna get much.
Missin' manners are a sign there's more missin' than just manners.
You'll make better progress if you stay outta your own way.

Always say 'please' when you tell someone to shut up.

~ Gladiola Montana ~



                       A sample taste of the jewelry I make and sell...

Writing For The Brand

2009-10-01T11:04:00.000-07:00

When you're young, sometimes you dream about where you'll be in twenty years. I never dreamed my life would be what it is. With age comes mileage, sometimes wisdom. Twenty years ago does not seem that long ago, but it does feel that far away. Being over 50 makes you think even more about the future and how time flies. The clock ticks more loudly. There is an urgent sense to make the most of the next 20 years.

I've been involved in 'design for hire' for 20+ years. For several years, I worked primarily for Better Homes and Gardens on a freelance basis, I also worked for a handful of other publishers and I self-published too. I designed patterns for historic looking toys (Teddy bears being my favorite) and home decor items. One of my early historic reproduction dolls found her way to Rockefeller Center, displayed in a Christmas exhibit featuring traditional Americana Folk Art.

'Nature crafting', earthy themes and old things have always appealed to me. I've made and sold gemstone jewelry - mixing in vintage goodies. I've written historical articles pertaining to Morgan Horse bloodlines and I served as editor of a small horse club publication. These days, I write a 'usually weekly' column for our local newspaper.

I recently joined MaryJane's Farm'as a freelance contributor. I'm grateful for the opportunity to take part in MaryJane Butter's broad vision. I'll share crafting ideas and written material in MaryJane's 'farmgirl sisterhood' monthly online publication called The Cluck. I'm looking forward to this new adventure and to be 'riding for the brand', or rather, writing for the brand.

Shery's playlist

2009-09-30T14:09:00.001-07:00